This invention relates to a dried protein-free, fat emulsion concentrate, which when reconstituted with an aqueous media, forms an oil-in-water emulsion which is stable in the presence of alcohol and an acidic pH. More particularly, the invention relates to the method of using a dried, protein-free, fat emulsion concentrate to impart a creamy appearance and creamy mouthfeel to an aqueous product containing alcohol and having an acidic pH.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, dried non-dairy fat emulsion products have become of increasing importance in the food industry because of their ability to impart a creamy appearance and a creamy mouthfeel to aqueous products, such as the use of non-dairy coffee whiteners to whiten and improve the taste of coffee. Typically such dried fat emulsion products contain as essential ingredients vegetable fat, carbohydrate (such as corn syrup solids, sucrose, etc.), protein, emulsifiers, stabilizers, and stabilizing and buffering salts. Upon addition to an aqueous medium, the dried fat emulsion product forms an oil-in-water emulsion which imparts a creamy appearance to the medium due to the refraction of light from the finely emulsified fat globules. A water dispersible protein, such as sodium caseinate or soy protein is included as an essential ingredient in the emulsion product to stabilize the liquid emulsion concentrate through drying so that when the dried emulsion is reconstituted, such as by addition to coffee, a stable emulsion is provided.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,045,589 discloses a dried non-dairy fat emulsion product for use as a coffee whitener which is prepared without the use of protein. The non-dairy coffee whitener of that patent comprises vegetable fat, carbohydrate, emulsifier, and buffering salts, with emulsion stability upon reconstitution being provided by the use of a chemically modified dextrinized starch having a lipophilic character.
The principal use heretofore of dried non-dairy fat emulsion products has been as a coffee whitener. Other well known uses for these products has been in the preparation of imitation sour cream mixes, dip mixes, creamy salad dressings, and whipped toppings. More recently, dried protein-containing fat emulsion products have also been used in the production of an alcoholic beverage containing neutral grain spirits to impart a creamy appearance to the beverage. However, prior to the present invention, attempts to produce a flavored wine based beverage having a creamy appearance and mouthfeel using such dried protein-containing fat emulsion products have not been successful since the dried fat emulsion products available heretofore have not been stable against the alcohol concentration, acidity and/or the destabilizing compounds such as tannins which are present in wine. These characteristics of wine make it difficult to maintain a stable oil-in-water emulsion when the fat emulsion product is reconstituted and added to wine.